1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for removing floating or suspended material from the surface of a flowing stream of liquid. More particularly this invention relates to apparatus for removing oil and other immiscible liquid contaminants floating on water.
2. Presently Known Apparatus
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,014,795; 4,207,191; 4,310,415; and 3,465,882 disclose apparatus for containing, collecting and skimming floating contaminants such as oil from the surface of a flowing stream of liquid. The patents illustrate the field of the present invention and collectively describe how skimming apparatus operates. The object of all such devices is to attempt to collect only the surface liquids, i.e., the contaminant liquids floating on the surface of the mainstream of a fluid, generally water. The closer one can come to collecting only the contaminant from the surface and minimizing the amount of water that is also collected, the lower the cost. One problem with prior art devices is that in order to avoid collecting large floating solid contaminants which might plug up the collecting devices, pumping means, etc., it has been necessary to employ devices whereby low collection velocities result and where the equipment is subject to plugging or fouling. Also, collection devices of the prior art are often complex and have moving parts and mechanical equipment located in or over the water.
Accordingly a purpose of the instant invention is to provide a skimming or contaminant collection device for collecting floating liquid contaminants from the surface of a flowing stream such as an effluent stream that is primarily water from a plant or factory. More particularly, it is a purpose of this invention to provide such device which is unaffected by floating debris and which collects the contaminants with a minimum amount of surface water without limiting the size of the collection opening unduly. Such size limitation limits apparatus capacity and presents plugging and fouling problems. It is also a purpose of the invention to provide such device which is simple to fabricate, has no mechanical equipment located in or over the water, and where there is ample flotation provided above the normal water line and where the water line may be easily adjusted.